DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: SLY

4/5

Sly & The Family Stallone.

95 Mins. Starring: Sylvester Stallone. Director: Thom Zimny. On: Netflix. 

Rocky Balboa punch-drunk with a plug in his nose. John Rambo looking off into the middle-distance. The leader of 'The Expendables' staring at you like you were the barrel of a gun. Some may say the acting of golden era, action-heroes like Stallone and Schwarzenegger is somewhat wooden, but these wax-figures wrapped in plastic tell another story. As Sylvester scrunches up his old life like a piece of basketball paper and shoots it into the wastepaper basket. Leaving it all behind like the same train window views that are never coming back, as he poignantly puts it in the opening of his outstanding new documentary on Netflix. If you like the 'Arnold' series that went FUBAR on your ass, then you'll love this one from his friend and former foe (with many an Arnie sound bite, amongst others like Quentin Tarantino and ADRIANNNNNNN herself, Talia Shrie). Anything that Arnold Schwarzenegger does (or pretends to), Sylvester Stallone has to do better ('Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot') and vice versa. Like the 'Rambo' like 'Commando' in a 'Predator' jungleland (or a hilarious 'Last Action Hero', 'Terminator' gag), which always felt like a Springsteen song for the action hero that could write the 'Kindergarten Cop' under the table. And directed by the 'Western Stars' of Thom Ziminy, this dramatic documentary of depth feels exactly like that too. A darkness delved until the Tom Waits closing number extends a hand to 'Come On Up To The House'.

Before 40 life is all about addition. After, everything is subtraction, Stallone tells us during many moving moments of an action actor who still hasn't made his last stand. We all know him as the endearing pugilist, or the warrior who caused goon deforestation out in the woods, but how about the man behind all that muscle? In their 'Sly' caption, Netflix makes a pun or not intended remark about Sylvester having a rocky childhood. He sure did, and the details of his relationship with his father are brought to light here, shedding some on the star we see shining today. He took a lot of leather jacket Joe bit-parts back in the day, because Hollywood wouldn't give him the leading man time of day, until he took control and re-wrote his life path and career plan for himself. One moment driving all his balled up stuff to Hollywood he broke down on the highway, stranded with man's best friend. He made the one call he knew he could, and within the hour, Henry Winkler came and picked up Sly and his dog. It was 'Happy Days' from there on out as Stallone bounced a rubber ball off an idea of a young fighter who just wanted one shot. Losing himself in the creed of that role for decades. He's run through the city of Philly like the late, great Moses Malone ("'fo, 'fo' fo'"), and reached the top of the jumping victory steps like Osaka's Glico Man. All the way Oscars for screenplays and nominations for acting, and even a statue in the city on those same steps like he really was a famous athlete.

What other actor can say that? Or say they hold the keys to not one, not two, but three huge action franchises over father time to grandfather time years? When Stallone read the 'First Blood' of the original Rambo book, he changed it in this 'Born On The Fourth Of July' time, so the hero wouldn't die in the end, all the real, physically and mentally wounded vets out there would have a different ending they could stand with in solidarity salute. Stallone has always written from the heart of what he devotes. But people underestimate just how much is "other" franchise means in the grand scheme of things. Just like those who wrote him off and typecast him again and again. This 'Cobra' constructed action movies like 'Demolition Man' for years, but there was more tango to his cash. He gave us a more dramatic turn in the critically underrated 'Cop Land', even baiting De Niro in ad-lib to give him even more of that Bobby magic. But it wasn't until Sylvester watched an old rock reunion in concert with his wife that he struck an idea based on golden era, action hero gold. Assembling all the real heroes of the genre, including the guy "who wishes he was President" for 'The Expendables', playing in the jungle again. It was an idea cooked up in where else, but Planet Hollywood that you could put straight on a t-shirt. And it's even come to a fourth film this fall. But for all the victory laps this 'Driven' actor has taken. All the 'Get Carter' remakes and 'Escape Plan' franchise breaks, there's been more pain with the gain. Sylvester gets into his divorce and also breaks his right to privacy silence on the tragic death of his young son and 'Rocky' actor Sage Stallone. The real-world worked and felt line of seeing life through his son's eyes drawing even more tears here when you see what it all actually means. When it comes to getting back up from all that life paints on your canvas, you know that famous 'Balboa' line about getting hit. But no matter how hard it gets, Sly refuses to be kept on his knees permanently. It doesn't have to all be sunshine and rainbows when you have a spirit like that. One that is truly undefeated. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Arnold', 'Rocky', 'Rambo'.